Oil-well cleaner



May 26, 1925.

J. L.'CARDER OIL WELL CLEANER Fi1e d J u ne 2, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. James 1.. Cara er flmlafr au Patented May 26, 19 2 5. 2

UNITED" STATES v I 1,539,242 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. QARDER, or LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA. nssxolvon OIIONE-TEIBD To JOHN A. STREET, on LOS A GELES, CALIFORNIA.

IL-WELL Application filed June 2,

To (ill whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMns L. CARDER, a citizen'of the United States, and resident of Los Angeles, in' the county of 'Los Angeles. State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in an Oil -Well Cleaner, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto a device 1 for cleaning operating oil wells and the like. In the operation of oil wells the interstices in the oil bearing strata often become clogged with deposits of bituminous and like substancesythereby hindering the flow of oil. This also occurs in the perforated and screen pipes commonly used. The removal of this cloggingmatteiywill increasethe output of the well.- A hot fluid such as watermay be employed to l-iquefy and make more fluent the deposited material and to'wash the samev fromthe-pipes and strata. In the employment of 'fluids for this purpose, a means to provide circulatory passages for tl1c fluid and to confine the latter under desired-pressures-'to desired locat ons and ZOne'S 1s a (lesideratum. s i

The primary object'of this invention is to provide a cleaning device which may be lowered freely into a well hole and has packing means expansible at willto confine the flow of cleaning fluid to a selected location. Another object of this invention is to, provide a crating the same In addition to the broader objects of this invention there are certain details o'f-jstructure. These objects together with other objects andcorrcspondin acomplishments are obtained by means of the embodiments of'my 0 invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which? i Fig. 1 is avertical section through a cleaner having two packe s; Fig. 2 is an elcvation of a similar-cleaner having one packer; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the plunger valve; Fig. 1 is a development of a fragment of the packing fabric; Fig. 4; is a section as seen on the line 4 ofFig. 4; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional'vievi of another species of cleaner; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section as-seen on the line 6+6 of Fi a-1;

'- Fig. 7 is a'section as seen on the line the line 88 of Fig. 6 on an enlarged scale. Referring more particular y tothe struccross pin 22-extends. novel expansible' packmgand means for opto belly out the shell and expand the latter.

bein of Fig. 1 and Fig. 8 is a'section as-seen'- on 5:

CLEANER.

1924. Serial No. nae-ea ture shown in the figures exclusive. of F i 5,

a service pipe shown inv dotted lines in ig.

1 and indicated by 10 is connected to atubular member 11. Secured to the member 1]. is a cage 12 to the bottom Of'Wl'llCll is connecteda tubular body 13. A coupling collar 14 is secured to the bottom of the tubular body and secured thereto are other depending port-ions of the structure. A split clamp the length thereof. These inserts are of lea form and of spring, meta-l. pleated so that it may lie-expanded and contracted. The central portion may be reinforced by a pleated fabric 18 securedto The shell is the fabric 16. Eyelets 19 extend through the fabric 16 at the ends so as to secure the pleats together. They also provide openings.

through which screws may be inserted to ,secure the packing to the collars 14 and 20;

Collar 20 is slidable upon' the body 13, and

the packing is secured thereto by means of a clamp ring 21.. The body is provided at the collar2O with diametrically oppositelongitud inally extending slots, through which a Thus, when collar 20 is moved downwardly upon the body, the" springs in the packing are bowed outwardly Meansare provided for moving the collar.

' A means for operating the packing is shown disposed within the cage 12, seeFigs.

1 and 6. This means comprises a plunger valve having a cylindrical body, The body may be hollow andhas upstanding the bodyare arms 25, whichact as arms and also su'p'port the cross pin 22, thereby-tying the plunger valve to the packing. The length of the'body 23 is such that it may be disposed within the cage 12 in the manner shown in Fig. 6, permitting fluid to therefrom guide-arms 241. Depending from ide pass around the plunger body from the tubingg 11 to the tubularbody 13. In thisposi-f tion, the packing expanded, the collar 20' init'slcivverfifiition. When the packthe' tubing 11' above occlude the flow of fluid to e body.

ing is collapsed, the plunger is disposed the ctaEe 12 so as w Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, a perforated 'pipe 26 shown connected to y tubular body 13 by means of the con"- ing collar 14:. Mounted upon the end of e perforated tube 26 is a cap 27 hav ng a number of perforations, preferably slanted togive a rotary tangential inoveincnbto the water'or fluid discharge from the cleaner; The cleaner is operated in the followingv manner:

The pump tubing is removed, the cleaner,

as shownin Fig. 2, secured to the bottom "of a string of service pipe and lowered into the hole. When the desired position has been reachedythe flushing fluid, such as hot water, is introduced under the desiredpresvsure'into the service pipe. The pressure upon the top of the'plunger. valve :23 moves "the latter downwardly into the cage 2,: causing-the expansiouof the paclnng as shown in'Fig. 6. The flushing flu d then passes outwardly througli' the perforations 1n the pipe 26 below the packing and cleans the perforations or screens in the oil pipe below the packing, q'iassiug outwardly and their-upwardly toward the surface; The hot flushing} fluid also washes the exposed surfaces ofthe strata, and may penetrate the same. W hen the pressure is removed from the service string, the springs'li' straighten holding the fabric 1c in pleats and moving theplunger valve iHiiO l'lIS upper posit-ion. .The cleaner can then be'clevated hy neans of the service pipe;

It may he wished toconfiir the fluid with- .in the casing to a given location between two spaced packers. The strufiture shown in Fig, 1 will accoinplisn this purpose. The; perforated tube 26 base coumrng collar 28 secured thereto, to whlch l5 connected a tubularbody 29.- At the bottom of the body 29 is a collar 30, to which is clamped by means of a ring 31 a packing of the .,.slots in the body is a pin- 36.

t1on of the packer pisfldescribed is sub same character as that before described. Closing the bottomof the collar is a plug .33. slidably mounted upon the body 29 is a sleeve '34. The packing 32 is clamped tothe sleeve 34 by means of a ring EX- tend-ing diametrically across the sleeve 34 and disposed in longitudinally extending The construcstantially the same as the upper "packerw A tie rod 37 connects-pins 22 and 36 so that upon movement of the plunger valve 23:

downwardly, thereb both packers are expanded, confining the flushing fluidto the .,,spaceietweenthe peel-rings. I

n Fig.6, a structure is -shown havinga packer operable by a line exlending to the surface so as to be actuated by thebperator. 38 is closed at the top by a plug39' 'o red for the passage of a line and equipped pith-a stufingboxfl. A; service pipe 41 is wiincctcduto one as the cup 2? shown in Fij their ends i A device of the character described branch and extends to able member a mgasaid body messes a means for supplying flushing fluid. Secured to the fitting is ascction of tubing 42.

A coupling collar connects tubing 42 to a tubular body 44, and a perforated pipe 4-5 is secured to the body 44 by means of a collar 46. Pipe 45 has sump 4-7 closing the bottom thereof and of the same character The body 14. is longitudinally slotted for the passage of a cross pin. A clamp ring 48 secures an expansible "packing 49 to collar'l-l, the

packingbeing of the some character as disclosed in the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Mounted upon the body 4-l is a slid-able collar 50 to which the lower edge of the packing is secured by n'ieans of. a clamp ring 5i. Extendingdiametrically across the col lar 50 is a pin 52. A. cableor line 53 1is secured tothe cross; pin and extends upwardly through the plug 39 and shilling box. The cleaner is lowered into'the hole, after the removal of any working parts within the casing, this being: done by means of the service string' ll. When the cleaner has reached the desired location, the cable 53 is operated/to lift the collar 50 and thereby expand the I pe king. The cable 'is' then anchored or fixed to hold the packing-in expanded position. llilien it is desired l0 remove thecleaner, the tension upon cable I 53 is,relensed, allowingthe springsin the fabric 49 to collapsetlie packing.

What I claim is:

l. A device of the character described comprising the combination of a hollow body; a. collapsible packing-having a shell ofiil'exible material disposed about saidbod and longitudinally extending springs within said shell; and'means to longitudinally coin, tract said shell sons. so bow-said springs and expand said packing. 9 2. Adevic'e as s' ecfiilecioin claim 1011313301 terizedby the shell being pleated and adjw cent pleats being secured to each ether al, their ends. i v

3. A device "of the character described comprising the combination oi a hollow "body; a collapsible packing having a shell of flexible material disposed about and we, cure-d to said bodyat one end, longitudinally extending springsrwithin said shell a slid to the rovided Ill - comprising the combination of a service con other end of said shell; and means secured to said slidable body to longitudinally con tract said shell so as to bow said springs and expand said packing.

6. A device as specified in claim 5 characterized by the shell being pleated and adja cent pleats being secured to each other at the ends.

7. A device of the character described comprising the combination of a service conduit, a hollow body secured thereto pro vided with a discharge section; a collapsible packing having a shell of flexible material disposed about and secured to said body at I one end, longitudinally. extending springs Within'said shelha slidable member on said body secured to the other end of said shell;

and means secured to said slidable body to longitudinally contract said shell so as to bow said springs, and expand said packing.

8. A device as s ecified in. claim Tcharacterized by the she I being pleated and tidja cent pleats seouredto each other at their ends. i

9. A device of the character described duit, a hollow body connected thereto provided with a discharge section; a collapsible packing having ti/Sllfill. of flexible material disposed about and secured to said bod at one end, longitudinally extending springs Within said shell, :1 slidablevmember on said cent pleats being secured to each other at their ends. v

ll. A. device of the character described, comprising the combination of a service con duit, hollow bodies provided with an inter mediate discharge section connected to said conduit; collapsiblepackings having shells of flexible material, each shell being disposed about and secured to a hody at one end, lon itudinally extending springs Within said she ls, slidable members on said bodies .each secured to a shell at its free end; and

means securing said slidao'le members 'together and operable'et will .to bow said springs and expand said pacltin s.

12. A device as specified in claim 1']. characterized by the shell being: plea-ted and adjacent pleats being secured toeach other at their ends. I In Witness that I claim the foregoing'l have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th dayof May, 1924.

, JAMES L. GAltDElt. 

